LGM Equine Training Services

03/11/2024

02/20/2023

02/19/2023

Our first day camp of the year is set! Horses, friends, games, and so much fun - What more could a kid ask for?!

If you’d like more information or to reserve a slot for your child please reach out to us. We only allow a maximum of 12 children at each individual day camp and those slots fill fast!

01/13/2023

If I focus too much on being liked, I worry I will focus to little on being authentic.

01/05/2023

Maybe the amount of extraordinary things that happen in your life depends on what you notice ✨

09/18/2022

This five year old green gelding has been such a fun client! He’s well mannered, quiet, brilliant and very brave! I’m excited to see how he progresses!

09/07/2022

Ride 👏🏽 from 👏🏽 your 👏🏽 seat 👏🏽

Please please please be kind to your horse’s mouth! That piece of metal in their mouth should not be the only thing you use to turn your horse. You have multiple aids. Learn to use them in congruence with each other and you and your horse will both benefit.

***This horse is NOT for sale. He is owned by a wonderful woman who loves him very much and treats him extremely well. The caption is not about him nor his owner.***

09/02/2022

Working on balance and turning from the seat, and Dante’s doing wonderfully!

****ck

08/22/2022

08/21/2022

This

08/09/2022

***This 17.1hh Oldenburg gelding is for sale! PM for more details or to set up trial rides.***

Handsome Dante ✨❤️ this guy is one of my favorite horses ever. I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to work with him and get him started the right way. He’s been a joy since day 1, and I’m sure going to miss him when he sells!

08/08/2022

It's equestrian thing 😆😁
credits: Pinterest

08/01/2022

How to tell if your horse is being bratty or just unbalanced and asking for support:

In all my years of riding and training, most issues like head tossing or feeling out of control of your horse are due to rider error, tack not fitting or being used improperly, or the horse lacking proper training or strength to do what you’re asking of them.

Ilsa is a 13 year old Oldenburg mare who has just been restarted after 7+ years of not being ridden. The constant bend that the round pen creates is throwing her off balance, as is the added weight of the rider (me). She is very sensitive to the position of her rider, so if I lean in, she drops her inside shoulder, causing her to pick up speed and fall in towards the center, and when I utilized the bit to slow her down, she tossed her head telling me she can’t hold herself up on the bend without my help.

This is a huge reason why I have someone film most of my rides. I could definitely feel how unbalanced she was under saddle, but watching it after the fact really gave me perspective on just how much help she needs, and the areas which we both need to work on to get her in showing shape!

Being sensitive to her rider is mostly a good thing, but she will need to be more balanced in order to clear fences and make sharper turns in the eventing ring. Once she builds the muscles that will help her do this, she will be able to collect and extend more smoothly.



***This horse is for sale. PM for more information, or to set up trial rides.***

07/22/2022

There is a lesson in every ride. 😉

07/06/2022

07/06/2022

Always, always, always praise your horse when they make good choices! Ilsa hasn’t been under saddle in 7+ years, as she was fulfilling her role as a broodmare. This video was from our third ride. She clearly remembers some things! She is a bit agitated by the nose band pressure, so we will be transitioning to a Mullen HappyMouth full cheek snaffle bit next ride. That will give me a *very slightly* more aggressive form of control which will allow me to ease up on the rein pressure overall. I am of the opinion that the best way to slow down and speed up your horse is with your seat. If you ride from your seat, you won’t need constant pressure on the horse’s mouth. Overall, I am very excited about this mare’s progress! Stay tuned for more updates on Ilsa and the other warmbloods for sale!

***This horse is for sale. PM for more details and to set up trial rides.***

06/28/2022

Dante is at it again! With some soft contact and some extra leg pressure, he is able to adjust his headset and stay balanced. I’ve seen a lot of riders using too much bit and not enough leg to adjust their horse’s headset, which in turn throws them off balance. Your horse has four points of contact with the ground; they should not be using the bit to catch themselves. Having soft hands and a solid seat and lower leg provides the foundation and stability you’ll need in order to ask your horse to work outside their comfort zone. ✨

***This horse is for sale! PM for more details and trial rides.***

06/23/2022

Dante is getting more and more balanced with each ride! This 17.1hh fire-engine red chestnut Oldenburg gelding is to die for! With only about 7 months of training, he is the safest green bean I have ever come across! He has a lovely, puppy-dog-like temperament, beautiful natural gaits that make you feel like you’re floating, and a consistent awareness of his rider. He responds well to all aids, and is definitely more whoa than go. He would excel in the hunter ring, dressage ring, or eventing circuit. We are excited to see where this boy ends up!

***This horse is for sale! PM for more information or for trial rides!***

06/08/2022

Izzy is coming along nicely! She is confident, curious, and level-headed - a good mix to have in an eventing prospect. I’m very excited about this sweet mare!

06/01/2022

Fun fact! Most horses are either right side dominant or left side dominant, just like people!

If you have a horse that prefers to bend one way or picks up one lead more easily than the other, that is probably their preferred side. Teaching a horse to collect themselves will strengthen them, as well as encourage the power to come from their hind end. Oftentimes, when people think their horse is being “bad” or uncooperative, they’re just unbalanced.

In this video, Dante is learning to collect himself on his non-dominant lead. As you can tell, he has some difficulty keeping a steady pace and requires a lot of leg from his rider. With practice, he will get stronger.

Another thing to note is that the bigger the horse, the longer the stride. It’s hard for a 17.2hh warmblood like Dante to work on a constant bend like the one a round pen provides.

Be patient with your horse, and they will be more forgiving and much more willing and supple to training.

***This horse is for sale! PM for details and trial rides.***

05/14/2022

When starting horses, I prefer to take a gentler approach. I’m 5’6” and 120 pounds, so there is no way to argue that I can force a 1200 pound animal to do anything he or she doesn’t want to do. The key is to convince them that they *can*.

Horses are flight animals by nature. They run from perceived danger. Allowing them to react, even poorly, paves the way for them to develop their confidence at a rate they’re comfortable with. I believe that this methodology strengthens the bond between horse and rider, as well as keeps both parties safe.

As you can see in this clip, I have a loose rein and am speaking to the horse in a calm, even tone and rewarding every good decision with a low volume “good girl”. Any time she tenses up or makes a decision to skip an obstacle rather than go where I’m pointing her, I say “it’s okay, you can go around it, that’s okay”.

She is still learning to trust me and her surroundings. She is not a completely broke horse. I am suggesting that she try new things, not forcing her to do my bidding.

At one point, she nudges the gate a few times. I apply some pressure with my outside leg, and when she makes forward movement, I reward her with verbal praise.

This is the best way I have found to keep both the horse and I safe and happy. We don’t start with demands. We start with suggestions. Allow them the space to learn and react to their surrounding and what is being asked of them, and you will wind up with a horse that can think for themselves and will take their rider to great lengths.



***This horse is for sale! PM for details and trial rides***